Here's the IHSA rules section that covers it.
3.100 INDEPENDENT TEAM PARTICIPATION
3.101 During the school season for a given sport, in a school which maintains a school team in that sport, a student shall not
participate on any non-school team, nor as an individual unattached in non-school competition, in that given sport or in
any competition that involves the skill of the sport in question. Violation shall cause ineligibility for a period not to
exceed 365 days. An exception may be made by the Executive Director under the guidelines adopted by the Board of
Directors for competitions sponsored and conducted directly by the National Governing Body or its official Illinois affiliate
for the sport.
3.102 Students may participate in a tryout for a non-school athletic team while a member of a high school team in the same
sport, provided the tryout is exclusively a demonstration of skills with no practice or instruction involved. Astudent shall
be considered to be a member of a school team when he/she engages in any team activity, including but not limited to
tryouts, drills, physical practice sessions, team meetings, playing in a contest, etc., on or after the date specified in Bylaw
5.000 and its sub-sections.
3.103 The phrase, “participate on any non-school team,” as utilized in By-law 3.101, is defined to mean engaging in any team
activity, including but not limited to, tryouts (except as defined in Section 3.102), drills, physical practice sessions, player
evaluations, team meetings, etc.
3.104 In the event a school does not maintain a team which competes during the regular high school season for a sport, but
enters one or more students into competition for the first time in that season at the beginning level of the IHSA tournament
series for the sport, the date of the beginning level contest in the IHSA series shall be the date on which the school
shall be considered to have a school team in that sport.
3.105 Students or teams at member schools shall not be permitted to participate on, practice with or compete against any college,
junior college or university athletic team. This restriction shall apply in all situations, regardless of the competitive
structure or sponsor of the competing entities for such events.
3.106 To be eligible for a school team in a given sport, students must cease non-school practice and competition in that sport
no later than five days after the date on which the school team engages in its first practice or tryout in that sport.
3.107 During the school year, a person who is a coach in any sport at a member school, may be involved in any respect with
any non-school team, only if the number of squad members from his/her school which are on the non-school team roster
does not exceed one-half the number of players needed to field a team in actual IHSA state series competition in that
sport.
3.108 The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI), may with the permission of the IHSA Executive Director, under the
guidance of the Board of Directors, conduct cooperative practices with another team in the immediately geographic area
of Jacksonville, Illinois.
Illustrations for Section 3.100 of the By-laws
The illustrations and situations it contains are for purposes of assisting in understanding the application of the particular by-law to which they
pertain. In the case of any conflict, whether actual or believed, between the illustrations, examples or situations in this publication and the constitution
or by-laws of the IHSA, the constitution and by-laws shall control.
180) Q. May a student participate on a team or as an individual outside the school?
A. Yes, provided such participation does not occur during the school season for the sport, as defined above. (By-law
3.101)
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181) Q. May a student who is a member of a school cross country team run in a 10K road race apart from the school cross
country program during the school cross country season?
A. No. “Running on any surface other than a track” is defined by the Board of Directors as a skill of the sport of cross
country. (By-law 3.101) NOTE: This illustration can be applied to any sport and/or season by referring to the definition
of “skill of the sport” and the list of skills determined for each interscholastic sport by the Board of Directors
which is included in the Definitions Section at the beginning of the Casebook.
182) Q. Is there a difference between “skill of the sport” and “skills of a particular event” in a sport, in regard to competition
in “the skill of the sport?”
A. No. The list of “skills of the sport” which the Board of Directors has determined are essential to each sport are applicable
to any and all events within a sport, regardless of whether a particular event utilizes a specific skill or not. For
example, since “running any distance on a track” is a skill essential to the sport of track and field, a discus thrower,
whose specific track and field event may not utilize the skill of running, is still prohibited from engaging in non-school
running competition during the school track and field season, because “running” is a skill of his/her sport. (By-law
3.101)
183) Q. Is there any circumstance in which special permission may be granted to permit a student to compete in a non-school
event in or utilizing “the skill of the sport,” during the school season for the sport?
A. Yes. The Executive Director may make an exception under guidelines adopted by the Board of Directors for competitions
sponsored and conducted directly by the National Governing Body for the sport. (By-law 3.101) A completed
request form and written verification from the National Governing Body for the sport that it is the sponsor and
will conduct the event, must be submitted to the IHSA Office for the Executive Director’s review.
184) Q. How is the term “maintains a school team” defined in the context of a school which does not sponsor or otherwise
facilitate competition in a sport during the regular season?
A. Such a school is considered to be “maintaining a school team” on the date any student first represents the school in
an interscholastic contest in the sport. Beginning on that date, any student from the school who subsequently practices
or competes outside the school in the sport, will violate this by-law. (By-law 3.101)
185) Q. May a high school student-athlete be randomly selected from the crowd at a sports event to shoot from half-court
and win a prize if the shot is made?
A. Yes. Performance of an athletic feat when randomly selected and when the feat does not involve competition against
other individuals, is not considered to be “competition in the skill of the sport”. (By-law 3.101)
186) Q. When does the “school season” end for varsity or non-varsity athletes in a sport?
A. The “school season,” as defined above, ends for varsity athletes and non-varsity athletes on the date of the school’s
last contest at their level in the particular sport. (By-law 3.101)
187) Q. May a tryout be conducted in more than one session over one or more days?
A. Yes, if determined to be necessary by virtue of the numbers of individuals participating or the extent of skill demonstration
being pursued in the tryout, and provided it meets the definition of a tryout. (By-law 3.102)
188) Q. May a tryout include a scrimmage?
A. Yes, provided it only involves individuals who are actually trying out, and is within parameters of all other by-laws.
(By-law 3.102)
189) Q. May a student who is a member of a school 12-inch fast pitch softball team attend weekly team meetings during the
high school softball season for a team that competes in a non-school 12-inch slow pitch softball league?
A. No. (By-law 3.103)
190) Q. May a student attend a meeting to organize and plan a fund raising activity for a non-school team?
A. Yes, provided the meeting focuses exclusively on the fund raiser and not on any activity identified in the definition of
“team activity” above. (By-law 3.103)
191) Q. May a student who attends a school which does not maintain a school team in a given sport participate in practice
sessions at a neighboring school which does maintain a school team in that sport?
A. No. (By-law 3.104)
192) Q. May a student in a school which does not maintain a school team in a given sport participate in a scrimmage in the
sport at a neighboring school?
A. No. (By-law 3.104)
193) Q. May a school which does not maintain a school team in a given sport enter one or more of its students in competition
against a neighboring school during the regular season for the sport?
A. Yes. However, such competition shall be considered to be competition by the school team, and the date on which
it first occurs shall be considered to be the date on which the school has a school team in that sport. (By-law 3.105)
194) Q. May a high school team practice at the same time and place as a college team?
A. Yes, but under no conditions may the high school team or individual members of the high school team interact in any
manner whatever with either the college athletes, coaches, or other college personnel. (By-law 3.105)
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195) Q. Does By-law 3.105 apply during the summer?
A. No. It only applies during the school year. (By-law 3.105)
196) Q. Does this by-law pertain only to varsity student-athletes?
A. No. It applies to all students at member schools. (3.106)
197) Q. If practice begins on Monday, when must students cease participation on non-school teams?
A. The last day for participation is Friday. Therefore, students may not compete on Saturday. (By-law 3.106)
198) Q. What number of players is needed to constitute “one-half the number of players needed to field a team in actual
IHSA state series competition” in each sport?
A. The number in each sport for which IHSA conducts a state series has been determined by the Board of Directors.
Specifically, the limitations are:
Badminton—3; Baseball—4; Basketball—2; Bowling—2; Cross Country—3; Football—5; Golf—3; Boys Gymnastics—
12; Girls Gymnastics—8; S****r—5; Softball—4; Swimming—15; Tennis—3; Track and Field—17; Volleyball—3;
Water Polo—3; Wrestling—7. (By-law 3.107)
199) Q. May a school s****r coach serve as a coach for a non-school basketball team, on which students from the school participate,
during the school term?
A. Yes, provided the number of students from the school at which the individual coaches does not exceed the number
permitted in By-law 3.107. (By-law 3.107)
200) WHEN ON SCHOOL SQUAD
Q. When does a student become a member of a school athletic squad?
A. In schools conducting an interscholastic program in the sport during the regular season, a student shall be considered
to be a member of a school team when he/she engages in any team activity as defined in By-law 3.102. In
schools entering interscholastic competition for the first time at the beginning of the IHSA state series in the sport,
the date of the beginning level contest in the IHSA series shall be the date on which the school shall be considered
to have a school team in that sport. (By-law 3.102 and 3.104)
201) NON-SCHOOL COMPETITION
Q. May a student who is on a school team and who participates in competition outside the season in the same sport
with a non-school organization, participate in a non-school competition in that sport on the day after the high school
season ends?
A. Yes. (By-law 3.101)
202) FAST VS. SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL
Q. May a student who is a member of the school team in 12-inch fast pitch softball, play during the girls softball season
for a slow pitch team in a recreation 12-inch slow pitch league?
A. No. During the school season, a student shall not participate on any non-school team that involves the skill of the
sport in question. (By-law 3.101)
203) BASEBALL VS. SLOW PITCH OR FAST PITCH SOFTBALL
Q. May a student who is a member of the school baseball team play during the boys baseball season for a fast pitch or
slow pitch softball team in a recreation league?
A. No. During the school season, a student shall not participate on any non-school team that involves the skill of the
sport in question. (By-law 3.101)
204) DATE OF FIRST CONTEST
Q. What does the term “date of the first level contest in the IHSA series” mean in the provisions of By-law 3.102?
A. The term “date of the first level contest in the IHSA series” shall be interpreted to mean the first date on which any
individual contest of the IHSA series in that sport is conducted. (Constitution 1.420)
205) COMPETING WHEN INELIGIBLE
Q. If a student is ineligible by virtue of a by-law violation and ruling by the Executive Director, may the student compete
in non-school competition in the same sport outside the school?
A. No. Once a student becomes a member of a school team, that student may not compete in non-school competition
(By-law 3.101)
206) PRACTICE WITH NON-SCHOOL TEAM
Q. May a student participate in practice with a non-school team while a member of the school team in the same sport?
A. No. (By-law 3.101
207) Q. May schools pay entry fees for any non-school leagues during the school year?
A. No. (Article 1.420 and By-law 2.090)
